Services

East Lancashire hospitals in drive to take on nurses

HOSPITAL bosses have launched another major recruitment drive to fill 100 nursing positions which remain vacant.

Since being placed in special measures in July last year, the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals have brought in more than 180 new nurses and healthcare assistants, but they still need more.

The recruitment campaign, labelled ‘Care to Make a Difference’, encourages applicants from ‘across the globe’ to apply for a Band 5 position, due to a shortage of UK nurses.

Chief nurse Christine Pearson said: “Applicants may be newly qualified nurses, nurses who are looking to move to a new role or nurses who may have been out of the workplace for some time and are now looking to return.

“As we may not be able to fill all of our nursing vacancies by recruiting in the UK, we are also encouraging nurses from across the globe to take up positions within East Lancashire.

“We are looking for nurses not only with the right qualifications to work at our trust, but they also need to share our values and be dedicated to providing high quality and safe care for patients.”

Last summer NHS chief Sir Bruce Keogh published a report which made wide-ranging criticisms of the way East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust had been run, including major concerns about low staffing levels.

The trust has since increased its nursing workforce by 62, as well an additional 121 healthcare assistants.

But a spokesman for the trust added: “As a trust we are showing as having a circa 100 gap for nursing. This doesn’t mean we have unsafe levels but takes into account vacancies, turnover, sickness and escalation.”

There are 82 qualified nurses currently going through the recruitment process, but many of these positions will be cancelled out by current staff who are due to leave.

The trust employs more than 2,000 nurses in total.

For more details see: www.facebook.com/EastLanca shireHospitals or https://twitter. com/EastLancsHosp

Comments

Pendlesider
11:05pm Fri 14 Feb 14

'recruitment drives' are usually only instigated when there is a serious failing in an organisation or there has been an unexpected increase in sales (demand). In this case, the hospital trust has been running at full capacity (mainly due to the closure of the acute services at Burnley hospital) resulting in a reduction in quality of patient care due to the ratio of Nurse to patient.
.
the 'nurse retention rate' for this trust was highlighted in the Keogh report and the reasons were revealed in a union survey 2 years ago which highlighted disgraceful neglect of patients due to overcrowding and high readmission rates.
.
In this article a 'spokesman' for the trust claims turnover and escalation aren't a reason for the emergency recruitment. It is quite clear however in the Keogh report both 'attendances + re-admission rates (turnover) and the inability to deal with patient numbers when beds are full (escalation) are the primary reason for the staff recruitment drive.
.
The current standing is that the patient to nurse ratio is deemed unsafe and hence the drive to recruit more nurses.
.
high quality and safe care for patients is imbibed within all Nursing practise so its an insult to carers to be asked of this from this trust, a clear sign of desperation.
.
the penultimate paragraph in this article highlights the desperation of this Hospital trust. The fact that the number of of nurses about to leave cannot be filled. In the meantime many patients will continue suffer for the ludicrous decision by this trust to place a single major hospital on a windy hill in Blackburn to cater for more that 600,000 patients in East Lancashire.

'recruitment drives' are usually only instigated when there is a serious failing in an organisation or there has been an unexpected increase in sales (demand). In this case, the hospital trust has been running at full capacity (mainly due to the closure of the acute services at Burnley hospital) resulting in a reduction in quality of patient care due to the ratio of Nurse to patient.
.
the 'nurse retention rate' for this trust was highlighted in the Keogh report and the reasons were revealed in a union survey 2 years ago which highlighted disgraceful neglect of patients due to overcrowding and high readmission rates.
.
In this article a 'spokesman' for the trust claims turnover and escalation aren't a reason for the emergency recruitment. It is quite clear however in the Keogh report both 'attendances + re-admission rates (turnover) and the inability to deal with patient numbers when beds are full (escalation) are the primary reason for the staff recruitment drive.
.
The current standing is that the patient to nurse ratio is deemed unsafe and hence the drive to recruit more nurses.
.
high quality and safe care for patients is imbibed within all Nursing practise so its an insult to carers to be asked of this from this trust, a clear sign of desperation.
.
the penultimate paragraph in this article highlights the desperation of this Hospital trust. The fact that the number of of nurses about to leave cannot be filled. In the meantime many patients will continue suffer for the ludicrous decision by this trust to place a single major hospital on a windy hill in Blackburn to cater for more that 600,000 patients in East Lancashire.Pendlesider

'recruitment drives' are usually only instigated when there is a serious failing in an organisation or there has been an unexpected increase in sales (demand). In this case, the hospital trust has been running at full capacity (mainly due to the closure of the acute services at Burnley hospital) resulting in a reduction in quality of patient care due to the ratio of Nurse to patient.
.
the 'nurse retention rate' for this trust was highlighted in the Keogh report and the reasons were revealed in a union survey 2 years ago which highlighted disgraceful neglect of patients due to overcrowding and high readmission rates.
.
In this article a 'spokesman' for the trust claims turnover and escalation aren't a reason for the emergency recruitment. It is quite clear however in the Keogh report both 'attendances + re-admission rates (turnover) and the inability to deal with patient numbers when beds are full (escalation) are the primary reason for the staff recruitment drive.
.
The current standing is that the patient to nurse ratio is deemed unsafe and hence the drive to recruit more nurses.
.
high quality and safe care for patients is imbibed within all Nursing practise so its an insult to carers to be asked of this from this trust, a clear sign of desperation.
.
the penultimate paragraph in this article highlights the desperation of this Hospital trust. The fact that the number of of nurses about to leave cannot be filled. In the meantime many patients will continue suffer for the ludicrous decision by this trust to place a single major hospital on a windy hill in Blackburn to cater for more that 600,000 patients in East Lancashire.

Score: 8

julespent
11:41pm Fri 14 Feb 14

If offered 1 million pounds i wouldn't go back! I completed a survey after i left on which i clearly stated how the lack of staff was affecting patient care and how bad the working conditions were.. That was ten years ago! I take it nothing changed after that! I have always wondered what happened to that survey, perhaps it was recycled into toilet paper!

If offered 1 million pounds i wouldn't go back! I completed a survey after i left on which i clearly stated how the lack of staff was affecting patient care and how bad the working conditions were.. That was ten years ago! I take it nothing changed after that! I have always wondered what happened to that survey, perhaps it was recycled into toilet paper!julespent

If offered 1 million pounds i wouldn't go back! I completed a survey after i left on which i clearly stated how the lack of staff was affecting patient care and how bad the working conditions were.. That was ten years ago! I take it nothing changed after that! I have always wondered what happened to that survey, perhaps it was recycled into toilet paper!

Score: 11

HairyBowls
9:05am Sat 15 Feb 14

Just Ensure future staff can speak english properly!

Just Ensure future staff can speak english properly!HairyBowls

Just Ensure future staff can speak english properly!

Score: 8

Lancs - pensioner
10:20am Sat 15 Feb 14

Whilst I'm normally against more immigration we should do what Australia does, if they/we need certain skills then let qualified people in, if they have not they say no very strongly.

Whilst I'm normally against more immigration we should do what Australia does, if they/we need certain skills then let qualified people in, if they have not they say no very strongly.Lancs - pensioner

Whilst I'm normally against more immigration we should do what Australia does, if they/we need certain skills then let qualified people in, if they have not they say no very strongly.

Score: 1

mylittleprincess
10:45am Sat 15 Feb 14

Perhaps by simply ensuring that all the existing Band 5 Nurses are actually 'nursing and hands on' rather than sat in offices all day supping coffee would probably mean we wouldn't need to spend a fortune to recruit more !

Perhaps by simply ensuring that all the existing Band 5 Nurses are actually 'nursing and hands on' rather than sat in offices all day supping coffee would probably mean we wouldn't need to spend a fortune to recruit more !mylittleprincess

Perhaps by simply ensuring that all the existing Band 5 Nurses are actually 'nursing and hands on' rather than sat in offices all day supping coffee would probably mean we wouldn't need to spend a fortune to recruit more !

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